The Grand Door of Life
by NotGuyFieri
Summary: When Bart finds out that Jaime and Cassie are dating, he learns that not every wish comes true.


Things hadn't quite worked out between Tim and Cassie. Jaime didn't know whether it was Cassie's constant ferocity up against Tim's quiet and somewhat dark personality, or perhaps it was Tim's seriousness that prevented him from spending time with Cassie. Jaime could always hear quarrels between the two teens, how Cassie claimed that Tim never bothered to spend time with her, with Tim arguing back that he had work to do in Gotham and had very little time. Often, he could hear it echo through the Watchtower, eventually ending up with him leaving from how noisy they've gotten. After a few weeks of quarrels and drama, they finally cut the rope. Jaime saw this as an opportunity. He never told anyone, not even Bart, but he always had feelings for the fiery blonde. Though he's taken on many villains and even escaped the Reach, Jaime just wasn't brave enough to have a personal conversation with Cassie. But Cassie was single now. It was too soon to start dating her only after a week after the whole event, (that's if, he ever got the chance), but talking to her was fine. Besides, wouldn't Cassie need someone to talk to after a break up? That's when Jaime decided to act. Tonight, after his mission, he'd talk to her.

**THE WATCHTOWER**

**JULY 29TH, 2016**

**21:21**

Cassie yawned as she stretched her muscular arms. It had been a long day of kicking criminal ass and working with the Team. Though the fourteen year old girl just wasn't quite ready to go to bed. The thought of breaking up with Tim still seemed to linger at the back of her mind, but she decided to ignore it, heading towards the kitchen area of the Watchtower, pouring herself a glass of water, then sat down by the counter. She took a few gulps of her drink, set it down on smooth granite, and just sighed. Folding her arms onto the counter top, she rest her head on them, and stared blankly at the wall. She and Tim ended their relationship for a reason. Why would she keep thinking about him? They both agreed that it needed to end. The mysterious thought seemed to swirl in her head, until they were interrupted by footsteps behind her. Turning her head, she saw Blue Beetle, otherwise known as Jaime Reyes, for he wasn't in his armor.

"Hey, Cassie. What's wrong?" Jaime asked as he took a seat next to her.

"I'm just thinking about Tim." Cassie sighed, "I don't know why. I just don't know."

Jaime bit his lip. He then said, "Well, do you want to be back together with him?"

"No." Cassie replied, "Which is why I'm so confused."

"You only broke up with him a week ago. Give it some time." Jaime advised.

"I guess you're right. I should stop making myself look so dramatic. Trust me Blue- er, Jaime, I'm not usually like this." Cassie responded, then laughed nervously.

"That's alright. I won't judge." Jaime chuckled, "Anyways, even though we've been teammates for a while, really the only time we talked was when you and Nightwing asked me to join the Team. So tell me about yourself."

"Well," Cassie began, "Secretly, I really love snakes. I have no idea why. Just how they can move without limbs, y'know? Always thought that was super cool. Oh yeah! And my fifteenth birthday is coming up in about a week. August fifth."

"Really? I had no idea! What do you want?" Jaime asked.

"Oh, trust me, having the Team is enough. Speaking of which, how old are you?" Cassie replied.

"Sixteen. I turn seventeen in October." Jaime responded, "Well, I might as well tell you about me. I'm pretty sure it's obvious, but I love Chicken Whizees. And so does Bart. He even stole them from my locker once."

Cassie laughed so hard that she snorted, then laughed at her ridiculous snort. Jaime began to laugh too. Cassie stopped to catch her breath, then said, "I'm jealous. I really am."

"You're jealous that you didn't get your Chicken Whizees stolen?" Jaime chuckled.

"No, the friendship you have with him." Cassie replied, "Barbara and I are sort of friends, but it's just... not like you two. I always see you two laughing and having a good time. He even came back to the past to save you."

"He's a great friend." Jaime said, "Well, this may sound strange, but y'know, I can also be your friend. How 'bout every night after missions, we meet back here? We can talk the night away, just like hermanos. Even though that means brothers in Spanish."

Cassie smiled, "Sounds great."

**THE WATCHTOWER**

**JULY 30TH, 2016**

**9:56**

"Blueeeeeeeeeee!" Bart shouted as he crashed himself into Jaime.

Jaime fell on the floor, then gave an annoyed look to his friend. "What's that for?"

"I'm boreeeeed." Bart complained, then offered a hand to help Jaime up. Jaime took his hand and soon towered over the younger boy.

"You're acting like you're five." Jaime said, rolling his eyes.

"I can't help it! Today's so slow! Aqualad hasn't assigned us any missions!" Bart replied.

"Not surprising for someone who can make his own self portrait out of rocks in two seconds." Jaime laughed.

"Hey! One-point-six seconds! Also, can I sleep over tonight?" Bart asked, his eyes bright with hope.

"About that..." Jaime started, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, I promised Cassie that I'd talk to her tonight. And well, she's just... great, you know?"

Bart gave Jaime a skeptical look, then said, "Alright, then."

**THE WATCHTOWER**

**AUGUST 4TH, 2016**

**23:51**

The last week that Jaime's been spending his nights with Cassie was magical. They've talked about so many things, so many things he couldn't remember. He just remembered staring into her gorgeous bright blue eyes and hearing her beautiful voice. One night they talked for so long that they hadn't even realized that the sun was rising until they saw it glaring through the large Watchtower windows.

"Your birthday is in a few minutes, Cassie." Jaime commented, looking at the clock.

"I know. And here I am, spending it at a counter in outer space." Cassie replied.

"Well, you could be sleeping." Jaime chuckled.

"Well, I'd rather spend it with you here than anywhere else right now." Cassie said, and Jaime's cheeks went red, and he nervously laughed.

"School's starting soon." Cassie said, "I'll be a sophomore. Tell me what it's like, Jaime."

"It wasn't that bad, from what I can remember." Jaime said, "I'll be a junior. More tests and college pressure. Amazing, right?"

"What do you want to do?" Cassie asked, staring at the clock.

"I-I don't know." Jaime admitted, "If I could make a living off of being Blue Beetle, I would. But I don't get money off of that."

"I don't get money off of being Wonder Girl, either. But it would still be awesome. Kick ass, get money." Cassie laughed.

"With my scarab, it actually just helps with my homework and all. Tells all the answers. By the end of sophomore year, I had all A's. Even though it's a pain sometimes, I know it'll take me far. It's made me a lot smarter, and a whole lot more mature." Jaime said.

"Five minutes." Cassie said.

"Anyways, I don't know what I want to be either. Hate math, science, english, you name it. The only class I look forward to is gym." Cassie said.

"How about a professional athlete?" Jaime asked.

"No, I don't want to become famous. It's already hard enough being Wonder Girl. In the world we live in, everyone's trying to find out our secret identities." Cassie responded, "But with that fancy scarab of your's, how about you become a doctor? You can save lives with it, without trying to hide your identity."

"It sounds smart, but being Blue Beetle has already made me tired enough. Being a doctor on top of that would kill me." Jaime sighed, "It's all so complicated when you're trying to take care of yourself and the world around you, isn't it?"

"It's everybody's dream to be a hero," Cassie began, "they never realize how difficult it is. But it's not about the powers," she then smiled at Jaime, "it's about the amazing people you meet along the way."

Slowly, but not awkwardly, she grabbed Jaime's hand. Jaime looked down at their clasped hands, then back at Cassie. She was the most beautiful girl that he's ever met. They gazed into each other for a few moments, before slowly going in for a kiss, with Jaime moving in his hand and softly cupping her face, their lips meeting just as the time struck midnight. It was so cliche, but Jaime loved every second of it. It was amazing. The girl he had crushed on for over a year was kissing him now, and he was kissing her, just like he always wanted.

The two teens parted, and then Cassie hugged him, whispering into his ear, "That was the best gift I could ever ask for."

**EL PASO**

**AUGUST 5TH, 2016**

**8:03**

Bart raced to Jaime's door and quickly knocked, to be answered by Jaime a few seconds later. Bart didn't expect Jaime to have a huge grin on his face. In fact, he's never seen Jaime smile that much.

"Hermano, you'll never guess what!" Jaime exclaimed as he grabbed Bart inside and quickly shut the door.

"Woah, what's with the excitement?" Bart asked, facing the older boy.

"I kissed Cassie last night! We're going to see a movie in a few minutes for her birthday. Can you believe it?!" Jaime asked.

Bart seemed shocked by this. He then looked down on the ground, then blankly said, "_Oh_."

"What's wrong?" Jaime asked, curiously.

"Oh, I was just," Bart began, looking back up at Jaime, "I was just thinking that maybe, we could hang out sometime soon?" he said, giving a nervous smile.

Jaime sighed, "Maybe in a few days? I promise I'll make time for you."

"Crash." Bart said, though it wasn't with his usual excitement. Instead, it seemed forced out.

"You should... get going. Cause, yeah, I gotta pick Cassie up..." Jaime said awkwardly.

"Right, right." Bart said, then quickly sped out the door.

**CENTRAL CITY**

**AUGUST 5TH, 2016**

**9:12**

Bart sighed as he lay on his bed, staring at the plain white ceiling. What was he expecting, anyways? He knew he just lived in a fantasy this entire time. He knew Jaime was straight. And Jaime thought he was. But no. Hell, Bart didn't even know what he was. Before he met Jaime, he'd never loved anyone in that sort of way, ever. And when he went back in time to save Jaime from becoming a Reach slave, he expected a boy who was moody and wouldn't listen. Bart never expected to become friends with Jaime. He never expected to fall in love with Jaime. He never expected Jaime to be a good looking, smart, kind, sixteen year old kid who became his very best friend.

But he was. And Bart was in love with that kid. But Jaime was in love with Cassie. He deserved her, and Bart knew that. Cassie was perfect for him. But Bart couldn't stop himself from developing a hatred for the blonde girl. He couldn't deny it- he was _jealous_. _Extremely_ jealous.

**THE WATCHTOWER**

** AUGUST 6TH, 2016**

**20:44**

It had been a long day. After a complex mission and fighting off countless numbers of villains, the team was exhausted. Jaime and Cassie were cuddling on the couch, and Tim had been standing from a distance away, giving an irritated glare towards the Hispanic boy. Bart was on a couch next to the couple, his eyes full of hurt. Neither Jaime or Cassie noticed, for they were too busy staring into each other's eyes. Bart didn't even know why he was torturing himself like this. Perhaps he was trying to convince himself that Cassie and Jaime should be together, but it just brought him more pain. Jaime and Cassie went in for a deep kiss, and Bart swore he could feel his heart physically shatter. He couldn't take this. He got up, and didn't run- he simply walked away. There was no point in staying, no point in watching the guy that he loved in another person's arms. He felt a hand touch his shoulder. It was Miss Martian.

"Where are you heading?" she asked.

"Home." Bart replied blandly.

"Come with me." Miss Martian said, "I need to tell you something."

Bart raised his eyebrow in confusion, but still followed the Martian girl anyways, curious as to what she wanted, and why it was so important to the point that she had to take him to a whole different room.

Miss Martian quit walking, then faced the teenage boy.

"I couldn't help but notice an unhappy vibe coming from you." Miss Martian said, "May I ask what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Bart assured, "Just tired."

After about thirty seconds of silence, Megan began to speak, "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Bart's eyes widened and his face went a bright red, "_N-no!_" he stammered.

"Bart," Miss Martian said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"_I'm not!_" Bart protested, "Why would I be?"

Miss Martian gave him a stern look.

Bart sighed and hung his head in defeat, "Fine. I am. Okay? Why do you care?"

"I wanted to tell you that not everybody you love will love you back." Miss Martian replied.

"Isn't that obvious by now?!" Bart challenged.

"Please, calm down." Megan said, "I know it must be hard for you. But things _will_ be okay, I promise you that. He may never love you back, but you guys can always be best friends. And that's okay!"

Bart sighed, "I love being his best friend, I really do. I just wish that we could be _more_ than friends."

Megan sighed, then hugged the small boy, "Not all wishes come true. But you can always make the best out of what you have."

Bart looked at the ground again, then said, "I guess you're right."

Megan asked, separating the hug, "Ready to go home?"

**THE WATCHTOWER**

**AUGUST 7TH, 2016**

**21:31**

It would always shatter Bart's heart seeing them. And he knew that. He would love Jaime. Jaime would love Cassie. But that was alright. Jaime was happy with her, and if Jaime was happy, then Bart decided that he should be happy, despite how much he wanted to be the one in Jaime's arms. He was still best friends with the Hispanic teen, still would be able to hang out with him, and laugh and eat Chicken Whizees together. It couldn't be that bad, right?

Wishes do come true, that was a fact. But not every wish does, but that's how things are, isn't it? Enjoying the small things is the key, Bart assumed, the key to unlocking the grand door of life.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I sincerely apologize if I gave anyone a case of the feels. Though I am just a teenager, I often see cases in all age groups where someone loves somebody, but that somebody loves somebody else, and it saddens me. I was also in a BluePulse/WonderBeetle/sadfic mood, so I typed this up within an hour. I thought I should make a more "real" fan fiction, AKA something someone can relate to, besides the whole "superpowers" thing. And if you're a fan of my silly fics, don't worry, I'm not gonna stop making them. With all of this, I hope you enjoyed it.**


End file.
